Suppressors for firearms, also known as silencers, generally operate to reduce the audible noise or sharp report of a firing weapon by means of reducing and controlling the energy level of attendant propellant gases. Generally, the techniques include the provision of a series of baffles which control and delay the flow, expansion, and discharge of propellant gases, forcing the propellant gases to pass through various temperature absorbent materials, or a combination of these or functionally similar techniques to reduce the temperature and abrupt discharge of propellant gases. The result achieved is a corresponding reduction in the noise produced by the discharging propellant gases.
Known silencers for firearms can be generally classified into two groups. In one group, the discharge and propellant gases that follow the bullet into the silencer are stored for a short period of time in a plurality of successive chambers which are closed to the outside environment. This produces a controlled expansion of the propellant gases through each chamber, thereby reducing their temperature and pressure. In a second group, at least a portion of the propellant gases are diverted to exterior coaxial chambers through a plurality of passages between inner and outer walls. Although such arrangements are more complex, they can provide more capacity to delay and cool the gases, and hence reduce the muzzle sound level.
The generic silencer baffle, used in the first group of silencers, typically is in the form of a flat disk with a cut-out for a bullet passage. More complex baffles include cone or funnel shapes, such as well-known K or M baffles. Another type of baffle is an elliptically-shaped flat baffle placed within the silencer body at an angle. Slanted or asymmetric baffles have also been in use wherein adjacent flat baffles are tilted in opposite directions with respect to the longitudinal axis of the silencer.
Sometimes silencers of any baffle style are combined with heat absorbing mesh or metallic pellets which must be replaced as they become clogged or worn out. To keep propellant gases from escaping with the bullet, some solutions employ wipes which are generally elastomer disks with an ‘X’ cut in the center to allow the bullet to pass. However, such structures wear out quickly, resulting in a service life of well under 100 shots.
No matter what the type of baffle is used in the suppressor, it often becomes difficult to remove from the suppressor housing for cleaning, as tough residue from the discharge gases can build up quickly in and around crevices, creating a bond between the suppressor components which can be difficult to break. Moreover, baffles closer to the muzzle end of the firearm are subjected to greater pressure, contaminants, heat from the firearm flash during discharge, etc., than baffles located further away from the muzzle end, thereby causing premature wear and failure of the suppressor.
It would therefore be desirous to overcome advantages of prior art arrangements for suppressing or hiding firearm flash and/or noise during firearm discharge.